


You're growing on me

by OllieDeclan



Series: Kagetsuki Fics - Miscellaneous [3]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Disaster Gays, First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, In this au if vampires get cold they Die, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Pining, Plants, Sharing a Bed, Shifters, Shoutout to plants in this one without them Kageyama would be sad, Supernatural Elements, This is gay as all hell and I'm not sorry at all, Tsukishima is so gay holy shit, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-08
Updated: 2019-06-08
Packaged: 2020-04-12 15:42:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19135093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OllieDeclan/pseuds/OllieDeclan
Summary: Supernatural AU where Tsukishima is a gay vampire who has a stupidly adorable elemental neighbour who never wears shoes. If he doesn't stop being so cute Tsukishima might (literally) die.





	You're growing on me

Tsukishima Kei, the scariest vampire in the district with an awful habit of flashing his teeth at the children of the neighbourhood, was in love.

His friends had told him they didn’t believe him when he admitted it, surely there was nothing left of his cold heart, but it was horribly, awfully true. And what made it worse was the boy he had the crush on.

Kageyama Tobio was the introverted and gentle earth elemental that lived in the apartment across from his, ears comically large and little tendrils of plants spurting out of his fingertips when he giggled. He always wore baggy sweaters and baggy pants, and never any shoes. When he stepped on cracks in the pavement, little flowers would burst up, only angering the council workers who spent their days ripping the weeds out.

The only problem? Elementals were notorious for sticking to their kind when it came to dating, and rarely decided that vampires were worthy of their affections.

And Tsukishima, with the permanent scowl and looks that could kill, was far too abrasive.

To make matters worse, it was nearing winter. Kageyama wrapped himself in more pastels, spending extra time caring for the hundreds of plants both inside and outside his apartment, and lecturing Tsukishima about his horrible fashion sense. He also cared for the plants he’d accidentally let grow on Tsukishima’s walls, talking to each and every one with innocent glee. With the colder months brought more dangerous times for vampires like Tsukishima - if they got too cold, they would die.

A gentle knock rang out within Tsukishima’s apartment, and he forced himself to leave his place right next to the heater to let his (unfairly) cute neighbour in. Kageyama, upon noticing Tsukishima’s violent shaking, almost pushed himself inside the other’s ribcage with a firm hug.

Tsukishima hid his panic with a cough, though didn’t push Kageyama away.

“What are you doing?” he asked, making sure he didn’t sound completely head over heels for the other boy.  
“I came over to ask if you wanted to spend the night.”  
“Why would I want to spend the night at yours?”  
Kageyama gave him a look that he knew all too well, “because you and I both know your heater is awful and mine is good, and I have a bath you can defrost in.”  
“What if I want to stay in my apartment and freeze to death?”  
“You can do what you want, but if you don’t come over, I won’t let you have any strawberry shortcake.”

Tsukishima did not want to miss out on Kageyama’s heavenly cooking, and so allowed himself to be dragged across the way.

When they got inside, Kageyama threw some warm clothes at Tsukishima and ordered him to have a bath while he made dinner.

Despite being in the same apartment complex, Kageyama’s apartment was much nicer than Tsukishima’s. It was modern and felt like a home, not just a house. Every wall was full of thriving plants that brushed against Tsukishima’s head - Kageyama did not think to accommodate guests when he grew the plants that sprawled across the roof - and there were so many trinkets everywhere, making Tsukishima wonder if his friend was a full-blood elemental or if his ears and hoarding capabilities had come from a faery.

Lowering himself into a steaming bath, Tsukishima felt forever grateful that he had a neighbour with a functioning hot water system. The freeze in his joints faded, leaving him feeling like jelly. Within the apartment, he could hear Kageyama humming to a tune as he cooked dinner, probably swirling around the kitchen with footsteps lighter than seemingly possible.

As he dried himself and put on the clothes Kageyama gave him, he tried to resist the temptation of burying his nose into the hoodie and smelling it. Vampires relied so heavily on smell to get through the day and find a mate that being in Kageyama’s apartment fried every one of Tsukishima’s nerves.

Kageyama smelt like a forest, something grounding and earthy, and even though it made Tsukishima feel on fire, all of his anxiety left as soon as he could smell the subtle rain and pine. Some untamed part of him wanted to dig his face into Kageyama’s neck and never leave the smell of home, but he dismissed it with a violent shake of his head.

“Do you want tea?” Kageyama asked when he stepped into the living area.  
“Please.”  
“One boiling hot tea coming up,” he smiled as he slid a cup across the counter and poured one for himself.

Tsukishima didn’t miss the blush on Kageyama’s cheeks or the way the leaves and stems on Kageyama’s fingers curled and uncurled. He wondered, just for a moment, if Kageyama liked him back, though quickly reminded himself that he was a grumpy vampire and Kageyama was, well, quite possibly the most perfect person he’d ever laid his eyes on.

Dinner was eaten in companionable silence, only broken by the clinking of chopsticks against their bowls.

“I always knew vampires were stubborn, but were you really going to just force yourself to freeze instead of asking to borrow my bath or stay the night?”  
“...Yes?”  
“Jeez, Tsukishima, sometimes I wonder how you’ve made it this far without me to look after you.”  
“I’ve made it this far because you’re not the only person who frets too much. I’m fine, really.”  
The tips of Kageyama’s ears went a dark red, and his face scrunched up in a pouty scowl. Tsukishima wanted to take a photo or smirk, but he did neither. Instead, he almost had to contain a blush - angry Kageyama reminded him of a child about to throw a tantrum.

The thing Tsukishima loved the most about sleeping at Kageyama’s house, above the smell and the baths and the good food, was Kageyama’s innocent insistence that they shared his bed. Kageyama’s bedroom was somehow more cozy than the rest of the house. The walls and roof were littered with plants - there was a large hanging plant drooping over the middle of the bed and even tendrils growing from underneath the sunken bed - and the smell of not only Kageyama but his candles too made Tsukishima feel safe.

Tsukishima couldn’t refrain from letting out a smirk when Kageyama appeared from the bathroom - in oversized clothes and his ear covers on.  
“Why do you even have these?” he asked as he lightly flicked Kageyama’s ear.  
“To stop people like you from touching them.”  
“Incorrect, what are they for?”  
Kageyama’s face went dark, “because my ears are sensitive, okay? When I move around it’s uncomfortable.”

Tsukishima, once again, had to force himself to not give in to his urges and thumb Kageyama’s ears. Instead, he clambered unceremoniously into bed, glancing over at the other every once in a while.

Kageyama quickly fell into his usual light sleep, letting out soft sighs and occasional hums. The plant growing from his neck extended almost protectively, a leaf curled around his chin.  
“Tobio?” he whispered, waiting for a response. When none came, he reached out to touch Kageyama’s shoulder lightly.

The feel of Kageyama’s shoulder was a burning pain on his fingertips, igniting something in him that screamed to seep under Kageyama’s skin and make a home there in the warmth. He felt awful, like a wild animal, that everything pure about Kageyama, and his love for him, was melting away the longer he held the other’s shoulder.

He felt an urge to leave, to go anywhere that wasn’t letting Kageyama become contaminated with his own filth, and there was really only one place he knew he could go. So he quickly pulled on some of his own clothes over Kageyama’s, eyes lingering on Kageyama’s form a little too long before he forced himself to leave the warm and safe and venture onto the streets.

 

  
\------------

Tsukishima walked for a long time, feeling the chill of the wind against his spine and his hair, following the path he knew almost too well.  
When he finally reached the apartment building, it took his eyes a moment to fully focus. It’d aged poorly since he was last there. Scorch marks and the occasional blood splatter lined the 15 storey building, the unmissable smell of wolves lingering around the front door. One such wolf - an angry boy only a year or so older than himself - was sitting behind a bush, giving Tsukishima a glare and a snarl.  
“Kyoutani-san,” Tsukishima greeted him, “take care of yourself.”

If Tsukishima had learnt anything from living in this apartment complex, it was that there were so many people worse off than him. Kyoutani was one, without any real place to be; he’d been living behind the bushes at the front of the complex since before Tsukishima moved in all those years ago, and as Tsukishima stepped inside more familiar faces greeted him from his memories.

  
He gave a nod to Kuroo and Kenma who were staring longingly at the food in the broken vending machine and received a ruffle of hair from Bokuto. This was home, he told himself. If everything went wrong with Kageyama, this apartment building was home.

“Come in,” a voice came from one of the third storey apartments, before Tsukishima even raised his hand to knock.

Akaashi Keiji was one of the most powerful beings in the city, yet he was stuck in a dingy two bedroom apartment that overlooked the poor suburbs. He certainly looked the part though, piercing eyes peering through slightly mussed hair, almost perfect features remaining emotionless. Speckled amongst the blue of his eyes was care, concern.

“It’s about Kageyama, isn’t it?” Akaashi asked, rising from his chair, “you’re afraid you’re going to hurt him.”  
“Well I-,” the look Akaashi gave him was enough to make him spit out, “yes. He’s so perfect, and he smells so good, and you know how long it’s been since I’ve had a release. I need something, y’know. But I feel like… I feel like a burden for asking.”  
Akaashi stepped closer, close enough that Tsukishima could make out the flecks of magic in his eyes. He raised a hand up to cup Tsukishima’s head. “Come to bed, Kei. You’re exhausted.”  
“But-”  
“No buts. Come on.”

Akaashi’s room was in pristine condition, spell books and materials and hell, even his tarot cards all had a place. Ancient bookshelves lined the walls and gave something for Tsukishima to look at while Akaashi got changed.

“Kei?” Akaashi called out when they’d both collapsed, with different levels of grace, into bed.  
“Yes, Akaashi?”  
“Let yourself go, alright? When you’re with me, don’t think that you’re going to hurt me. You aren’t, you’ve been tiptoeing for so long you’ve forgotten what it’s like to release all that pent up energy.”

He held his arms out for Tsukishima, and the younger complied. He curled up with so much force he was almost underneath Akaashi’s rib cage, face buried into that flawless skin. Akaashi felt addictive, his smell and his touch and his voice, and he accredited Akaashi for his uncontrollable crush on Kageyama.

When Tsukishima was 17, he ran away from home. His parents had tried to arrange a marriage to a family friend’s daughter in an attempt to ‘“fix” him, so he left. He took what little money he’d saved up and thrown it into a small storage unit for him and his possessions. He lived off of meals from local homeless shelters and slept on the floor of the container.

One night, he’d gotten caught up in a brawl on his way home after a long shift, left on the side of the road with his eyes swollen shut and his senses muted.

He woke up the next morning to something purring right next to his ear, and in a proper bed. People were talking, but he didn’t know what they were saying. It was full of clicks and whistles and guttural sounds, but there was definitely multiple people talking. One was positioned near him, and as he became more alert, he realised they were cleaning and bandaging his body. The others were more distant, one quiet and one booming loud.

His eyes stung, but he managed to force them open. Gold-speckled blue eyes met his first, their owner’s hands stopping bandaging only for a moment before beginning again. The other two looked considerably less human, one with feathers covering his cheekbones and poking haphazardly out of greyscale hair. The other had large, swirling cat ears and speckled markings all over their skin.

“Morning,” the closest one spoke, “are you alright? You were pretty beaten up when Kuroo-san found you.”  
“I’m okay,” Tsukishima croaked, “where am I?”  
“My apartment, near where we found you. Don’t worry, you’re safe. We just thought it’d be better to bring you here than to the human hospital.”  
Tsukishima just gave a small nod raising his bandaged arm up to run his hand through his dishevelled hair.  
“It’s not often we see vampires around these parts, especially not alone. What’s your story?”  
He wanted to jab back, but considering these people had quite possibly saved his ass, he didn’t. “I got kicked out of home, well, I ran away. Been living in the storage units for a couple of months.”

The taller boy on the other side of the room piped up, “why didn’t you come live here?”  
“Where is here, exactly?”  
“Supernatural and Hybrid Tower 5.”  
“I didn’t think I had the money.”  
“Trust me,” the one next to him jumped in, “there are people who live here who have nothing. You’ll be able to afford it.”

That day marked a new beginning for Tsukishima, moving into the apartment opposite Akaashi and his bunch of disastrous shifters, connecting with the community around him. And when he came out as gay, he expected the same result as he’d always received; disgust and anguish, but instead, all he got was a chorus of “same here.”

Some 5 years later, when he had himself on his own two feet again, Akaashi helped him find an apartment and covered it in spells, mothering him until the last box was unpacked. And that day, when he was putting his photo albums, a gentle knock made itself known, and its owner made Tsukishima fall instantly, violently, in love.

\-----

The next morning, Tsukishima woke in a shifter pile, two cats curled up on his chest and an owl precariously leaning into his hair. He excused himself, needing to get home before Kageyama had a heart attack and died.

He stood, shaking, outside of Kageyama’s apartment, debating whether or not to knock on the door. He wanted to see Kageyama, body reset from a night completely enveloped by magic and safety. He didn’t feel like every little hint of Kageyama would send him over the edge, newfound confidence almost enough to storm in and kiss Kageyama until they were breathing each other’s air.

He didn’t get the chance to weigh up his options before there was a loud shriek of his name and arms grabbing him and holding him so tight it hurt.

“I thought… I thought you were gone for good. I checked your apartment and all the local hotels and shit, Tsukishima. I thought I’d lost you.”  
Kageyama spun around and stared at him, eyes overflowing with tears and snot dribbling out of his nose. He looked so shaken up, eyes searching for something.  
“I’m sorry,” Tsukishima said, pulling Kageyama into his chest, “I’m so sorry.”

He’d never seen Kageyama like this, sobbing, his whole body heaving violently with ever heart-wrenching cry. Tsukishima didn’t think that one night, leaving for less than twelve hours, would hurt Kageyama that bad.  
“Why did you leave me? Did I do something wrong? It’s the stupid sharing a bed thing, isn’t it? I don’t know boundaries and assumed it was fine and-”  
“Kageyama!” Tsukishima stopped him, pulling him back and looking him in the eyes, “it’s my fault, okay? You’ve done nothing wrong, I promise.”  
“Are you sure? You’ve seemed so anxious around me lately and I thought it was because I made you uncomfortable.”

Tsukishima could feel the plants growing up his legs through his pants, green exploding from the other’s feet. The sprouts growing from his fingers were blooming now, daisies and bluebells and an assortment of flowers Tsukishima would never be able to name.  
“Kageyama, hell,” he took a moment to compose himself, “you could never make me uncomfortable. You’re the kindest, nicest, most beautiful person I’ve ever met. You give me so much love even when I don’t deserve anything. I just… needed to sort things out.”

Kageyama hummed and played with his hands, “do you mean that?”  
Tsukishima looked into those deep blue eyes and his breath got caught in his throat, Kageyama was laid bare in front of him, and he’d never been so in love in his life. His hands shifted, sliding up Kageyama’s neck to cup his face. He leaned in, slowly, afraid that maybe Kageyama didn’t feel the same way. He pressed his forehead against Kageyama’s, noses touching.  
“I’ve never wanted anything more in my life.”

Their lips met, and it felt like time had slowed, their faces slotting perfectly together as they kissed. It was gentle, featherlight, and Tsukishima could feel Kageyama press his hands into his sides. It was perfect and short but meant more than words could say. When Kageyama pulled away, there was no fear. The look in Kageyama’s eyes was fierce, but at the same time so full of adoration that was reserved for him.

They both let out an awkward chuckle, and Tsukishima dug his face into Kageyama’s neck, the other running his hand so tentatively through his hair.

After an eternity, Tsukishima looked up to the sky. Clouds rolled by against perfect blue, and he wanted more than anything to stay like this forever, holding Kageyama against him and watching the world go by.

Kageyama was his home now, forever and always.


End file.
